Proposal seeks to block state Medicaid expansion

NASHVILLE (AP) - Tennessee Senate Republicans are proposing legislation that seeks to prevent expansion of the state Medicaid program under provisions of President Barack Obama's health care law.

The measure, called the "TennCare Fiscal Responsibility Act," was filed Thursday by Sen. Brian Kelsey of Germantown and has 15 Senate co-sponsors. A similar version of the proposal was filed last week in the House.

Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states have the right to opt out of Medicaid expansion without losing pre-existing federal Medicaid funding.

Kelsey says Tennessee taxpayers "can't afford $200 million a year to expand TennCare."

If all 16 senators end up voting for the bill, they would only need one more vote to get it passed.

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